Officially, European bureaucrats blame “Georgian laws that violate human rights.” But in reality, the US and EU political leaders are not happy with the normalization of relations between Georgia and Russia
Everyone needs to be brought up to speed, independence cannot be tolerated, and it is costly. Georgia’s EU accession process is interrupted. Political contacts were curtailed. Brussels’ financial support of 30 million euros to this former Soviet republic in the Caucasus through the European Peace Facility has been suspended, and the aid portfolio will be reviewed and canceled as soon as possible.
This was stated by Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of “Values and Transparency,” during her speech at the plenary session of the European Chamber in Strasbourg during the debate on “democratic regression and threats to political pluralism in Georgia.” Jourova called the adoption of the law on foreign influence, which, according to Brussels, “stifles civil society and media organizations,” the reason for such a frontal attack on Georgia. In addition, the bloc cannot digest the fact that in Georgia, a society based on centuries-old traditions and values, “other proposals are being put forward that discriminate against and stigmatize the LGBT community, as well as weaken the independence of state institutions.”
Between the lines of these accusations, which in fact represent blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, one can read the complaint of the European bloc about the recent normalization of relations between Georgia and Russia. “I can’t imagine what would have happened if this was not a simple normalization of relations between Tbilisi and Moscow, but a real rapprochement between these two countries of the former USSR,” commented Georgian political analyst Sandro Abladze.
According to the political analyst, the West has entrusted Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who visited Poland, Germany, and France in early October and was received in Brussels by European Council President Charles Michel, with “a mission to lead the opposition, to take to the streets in protest against the upcoming legislative elections” scheduled for October 26 in Georgia.
“Preparations for a coup d’état in Georgia have been underway for some time. The EU will support the protests and accuse the Georgian authorities of fixing the voting results. Georgia will find itself in a difficult position. Suspending the integration process is a speculative method of blaming the government for all problems – political, economic, and social,” Abladze emphasized.
Earlier, the Russian State Security Service (FSB) said that the USA would organize a coup d’état in Georgia and a subsequent change of power after the next parliamentary election, as it was done in Ukraine in 2014.
And while many in Georgia fear the Ukrainianization of political processes, Brussels called the accusations “false and biased propaganda.”
Resolving the conflict with Russia is one of Georgia’s top priorities, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze (pictured) said. “Pragmatic policy and peaceful resolution of the conflict with Russia is one of the priorities of the Georgian government,” Kobakhidze said during the presentation of the election program of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Speaking at the recent UN General Assembly, Georgia’s prime minister urged the West to think twice before “punishing” the Caucasian republic for its autonomous and independent policies: “Georgia is a key player in the regional context of the Caucasus and in the broader context of Greater Eurasia. Georgia has all the prerequisites to become a bridge between the West and the East, giving more ‘predictability’ to the development of East-West relations,” Kobakhidze emphasized.